The Other Side of Life 24/7: Daily Investor Briefing: Dow, S&P 500 eke out gains to end at...

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Daily Investor Briefing: Dow, S&P 500 eke out gains to end at...

Click to View in Browser

05/13/2014

Reuters Election 2012 Daily round-up of the day's top news from the campaign trail, the White House and all the politics in between

Dow, S&P 500 eke out gains to end at records

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Dow and the S&P 500 closed at record highs again on Tuesday, while the Nasdaq slipped, weighed down by Cisco and Comcast.

Retail sales slow, but growth outlook still upbeat

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. retail sales braked sharply in April after strong gains in the prior two months, but that did little to change views the economy was poised for faster growth this quarter.

U.S. regulator opens door wider for Americans on mortgages

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The regulator of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac laid out plans for the government-run companies on Tuesday that could make it easier for Americans to obtain mortgages, marking a sharp departure from a predecessor who wanted to aggressively shrink their role in the housing finance market.

Next U.S. Senate hearing on GM seen after company probe complete

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The next round of hearings in the U.S. Senate to probe General Motors' delayed recalls of vehicles plagued by ignition-switch defects will come after the company completes its own internal probe, a Senate aide said on Tuesday.

FCC vote on 'net neutrality' will kick off long battle

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. efforts to set new Internet traffic rules face a lengthy tug of war between broadband providers and Republicans on one side and some tech companies and consumer advocates on the other as regulators prepare to propose the rules formally on Thursday.

AT&T in talks to buy DirecTV for nearly $50 billion: sources

NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - AT&T Inc is in active talks to buy satellite TV provider DirecTV and may complete a deal in the next few weeks that could be worth close to $50 billion, two people familiar with the matter said on Monday.

U.S. judge tosses SEC case over alleged Ponzi scheme

(Reuters) - Five former real estate executives do not have to face a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission lawsuit accusing them of engaging in a $300 million Ponzi scheme, a U.S. judge has ruled, saying the agency waited too long to sue.

Next step for bankrupt Detroit: Ending abandoned home crisis

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The federal government is pushing to eradicate a long-standing symbol of Detroit's massive economic deterioration: the abandoned house.

UK lawmakers give Pfizer stick as it waves carrot at AstraZeneca

LONDON (Reuters) - U.S. drugmaker Pfizer hinted it could raise its proposed $106 billion offer if AstraZeneca would only engage in talks, as its boss was grilled by UK lawmakers on his commitment to British research spending and jobs.

Cemex leadership unclear after sudden death of CEO

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - The leadership of Mexico's Cemex , one of the world's leading cement makers, is uncertain after the death of Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Lorenzo Zambrano, irking some investors who would prefer a smooth transition.